Puzzle



Aug. 18, 1925.

, J. R, MCMAHON PUZZLE Gre@ 71/ 6' 7 Filed June 2l, 1923 j D C Oranje Pilff( Patented ug. '18, 19.25.

l, UNITED TFA-TES i g 1,550,552 PATENT OFFICE.

l `.Tenn R. MGMAHON, or nnsMorNEs, IOWA.

Application ledJ'une 21, 1923. Serial No. 646,740.

To all whom t 'may concer/a:

Be it known that I, JOHN R. MoMAHoN, a citizenof the United States, residing at Des Moines, in the count-y of Polk and State of Iowa, havevinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Puzzles, of which the following'is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in puzzles, and the primary object of the invention is to provide a novel and simple form of puzzle which may be cheaply and easily manufactured, and one which, in the solving of the same, will furnish considerable amusement to both old and young.

llith the above general objects in view, and others that will become apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood,`the same consists in the novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings and claimed.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the views,

Figure l is a plan view of the puzzle board, with the puzzle pieces in their position when the puzzle is solved, and

Figure 2 is a plan view showing one of the groups of puzzle pieces.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the invention embodies a board 5 having a checkered surface 6 forming rest placesV for game pieces, which restplaces are aligned in two directions as shown in Figure 1. The particular form of board shown is ofY square form in plan and embodies four rows of rest places with four rest places in each row.

I also provide puzzle pieces corresponding in number to the number of rest places on the surface of the board and embodying a plurality of groups of pieces, respectively designa'fied by the characters A, l In the form of the invention illustrated, each row of checkered rest places embodies four rest places, and each group of puzzle pieces comprises four pieces. In other words, the number of puzzle pieces in each group corresponds to the number of rest places in each row. From a consideration of Figure l, it will be seen that the pieces of each group have a similar primary distinguishing characteristic 7, but the primary distinguishing characteristic of one group is different from that of each of the other groups. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, as shown, the primary distinguishing J'haracteristic` of one group consists of a border of green, another groupfhaving brown as its primary distinguishing characteristic, still another `employing pink, and still kanother employing orange.

A secondary distinguishing characteristic is also provided on each game piece, as at 8, and as shown these secondary distinguishing characteristics are preferably in the nature of colored centers provided on the game pieces. It will be seen that the secondary distinguishing characteristic of no two of the game piecesL of each groups are alike, and that each secondary dist-inguishing characteristic of the pieces of one group are similar to the secondary distinguishing characteristics of one piece of each of the other groups. kIn the form of the invention shown, the secondary characteristics preferably embody colored centers on the game pieces, respectively white, yellow, blueand gray, as shown in Figure 2 with respect to group A, v

It will thus be seen that the puzzle includes sixteen chips` or pieces made from eight colors, two colors being placed on each chip.

This puzzle may be solved in numerous ways, of which the following are two examples:

The object of the puzzle is to so arrange the game pieces that there will be no two colors alike in any row, crosswise or lengthwise, as shown in Figure l. This may be done by placing the pieces on the board at any point desired, or by placing the pieces at random upon all tlie'rest places except one and then slidingv the chips from one i square to another without raising them from the board until they are in position as shown in Figure 1. In practice, considerable difficulty will be experienced in ultimately getting the pieces in-this position, thus furnishing considerable amusement for old and young.

'Live areas for playing pieces, a plurality o playing pieces equal in number to said receptive areas, said playing pieces being divided into separate groups, each group comprising a plurality of playing pieces in the forni of disks, each disk being of an area considerably less than the aforesaid receptive area. which it is adapted to occupy, each disk including a core of one color and a peripheral portion of another color, the peripheral portions of the discs of the diilerent groups being of colors dif- 'ferent from each other, the peripheral portions of the disks o' each group being of one color, the cores of the disks of each group being o1" a plurality of Colors diilierent ifi-oni each other and diii'erent roin the colors of all peripheral portions, the saine pluraiity of core-colors being used in each o1" said groups.

testimony whereof I affix iny signature.

J OHN R. MCMAHON. 

